HIKARI RAKUEN

At HIKARI RAKUEN, you can enjoy fruits from Ishigaki island

while been surrounded by the nature.

Let's find out more about the tropical-themed shop that is absolutely photogenic

and the care that goes into the ingredients selected!

The parents of the owner of HIKARI RAKUEN loved the fruits especially guava, and initially distributed the fruits harvested in their field to their acquaintances. The quantity of the harvest increased over time, and when they could no longer distribute all of them, they decided to try something new with the fruits and opened their shop where they offer fruit-based drinks, sandwiches and more. The ingredients from Ishigaki Island are already tasty enough, so they do not add too many things when making their products. This is a place where you can enjoy the deliciousness of the fruit itself.

Making the local ingredients known

At HIKARI RAKUEN, their fresh juices are made from fresh fruits in order for the customers to enjoy the flavor and the aroma. The most popular among them is the three-layered tropical mixed juice, which has layers of pineapple, guava, and papaya, and you can taste the flavor of each fruit by moving the straw around. "We try to make our products pleasing to the eye as well as to the palate. I want to create something that will surprise our customers in a good way," says Ms. Kanehisa, the owner of the shop, when asked about the menu. The shop is expanding their seasonal menu items because they want their customers to be excited no matter how many times they visit the shop. For example, they have more menu items using purple sweet potato in winter, and more items using fruits in summer.

Photo: Shikuwasa smoothie

Letting people know about local ingredients when they travel to Ishigaki Island is very important to Ms. Kanehisa. Therefore, at HIKARI RAKUEN, they mainly use fruits produced on Ishigaki Island. Other ingredients from Okinawa such as purple sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and salt are also used. According to her, brown sugar has fun texture and it is very fragrant when caramelized, and purple sweet potato has sweetness to its flavor and its purple color comes out very vividly. As for salt from Ishigaki Island, its taste becomes milder when used for making desserts.

Photo 1: Tropical-themed interior

Photo 2: Shrimp & Avocado Sandwich

"I assume majority of the people want to enjoy the local food when they travel. Ishigaki Island has many great things such as farm produce and seafood to offer. I want everyone to know about them," says Ms. Kanehisa.

Outdoor seating surrounded by nature

The outdoor seating at the shop allows you to experience the island's nature firsthand. Mt. Omoto, which can be seen from here, is the highest mountain in Okinawa. You can see pineapple fields and hear the sound of cicadas.　Sounds made by birds, such as crested serpent eagles and ruddy kingfishers can also be heard, so they do not play music at the shop. You can savor the fruits from the island while surrounded by the nature.

Photo 1: Outside seating area

Photo 2: Turtle owned by the shop

Photo 3: Swing

Souvenir corner is also set up in the shop

English menu is available as well as the Japanese menu, so there is no need to worry even if you cannot read Japanese. The inside of the shop looks tropical and has an eat-in space and also a corner where customers can buy souvenirs such as Chinsuko, a traditional Okinawan cookie, with the choice of flavors like Okinawan brown sugar and purple sweet potato. "Ishigaki has beautiful sea and starry sky. The food is also delicious. I hope tourists can enjoy their stay and return home fully satisfied," says Ms. Kanehisa.